How to Set Metadata for Files in OMIQ – OMIQ

Setting metadata is important to support a number of special OMIQ functionalities (for example, file searching, figure generation, statistical analysis). Metadata are tags of information that are associated with each file in a Dataset. These provide experimental, clinical, scientific, or other underlying information about these files.

1. Navigate to File Metadata Tab

File metadata are handled within the File Metadata tab in a dataset.

The image above shows an example of a dataset where there is no file metadata set.

2. Adding Metadata

You can choose to do, one, some, or all of the ways mentioned here. You do not have to follow the order as they are described here, as this merely lists the ways you can add metadata to your file.

2.1 Set Metadata From a Spreadsheet

Click on Metadata Actions and select Copy Metadata as Spreadsheet.

Paste the copied values into a spreadsheet editor.

The image above shows the values pasted in the spreadsheet. If you have not set any metadata to your files, you will have two columns namely, OmiqID and Filename. Additional metadata will appear as additional columns in the spreadsheet

The OmiqID is a unique identifier for a file in OMIQ. Avoid editing this.

Add the metadata values as columns.

Here we have added two new metadata columns namely Day and Patient.

Once done, copy the spreadsheet back to OMIQ.

Click on Metadata Actions and select Set Metadata from Spreadsheet.

Paste the copied spreadsheet and click Submit.

The metadata values are added as columns.

You can edit the file names following the steps above. Just remember to copy the OmiqID when pasting back to OMIQ.

2.2 Import Metadata from Files

FCS files can contain metadata values that you can use. Examples of which are Well ID, Tube Name, Volume, etc.

Click on Metadata Actions and select Import Metadata from Files.

The image above shows an example of a dataset where there is existing file metadata already.

Choose the metadata key(s) that you would want to import. Click Submit.

The metadata value of the corresponding keys are imported as columns into OMIQ.

Here we see that the metadata values from the FCS files namely $DATE and $TOT are added as columns.

2.3 Add or Edit Metadata Manually

You can choose to add or edit the metadata manually while inside OMIQ.

Click on Metadata Actions and select Set Metadata Manually.

2.3.1 Add Metadata Manually

Type a name for the metadata dimension you wish to add and click Submit.

Choose the file(s) that will belong to a particular group in the metadata dimension. Enter a Value for the file group. You can Add a Row for more file groupings as needed. Click Submit once done.

Here, we see the metadata Batch has been added as a new column.

2.3.2 Edit Metadata Manually

Choose the metadata dimension that you want to edit and click Submit

Edit the File Groups and/or metadata value. Click Submit.

In this example, we added a D to the day value to now read as D30 and D90.

In the screenshot above, we see that the value for Day has been updated to read as D30 or D90.

2.4 Make Combo Metadata

You can combine metadata dimensions together. This allows you to create a single metadata column based on existing metadata dimensions.

Click on Metadata Actions and select Make Combo Metadata.

Choose the Metadata Dimensions that you want to combine. Click Submit.

Create a name for your combined metadata dimension. The default name given is combining the metadata dimension names with a hyphen. Click Update.